Skeletons
by SHAKIRA12
Summary: A year on from Jenny's death the group has moved on, all seems well but some skeletons from the past emerge to shake things up.


A year on from Jenny Schechter's last day alive the group had grown from her passing and moved on with life. Shane's photography had really taken off and was now being booked for photo shoots with global businesses and Los Angeles' richest. After a short while she fixed things with Molly and the two started up in a stable and serious relationship. Alice took back her treatment after Jenny died after the company who bought it dropped the screenplay following Schechter's murder. It sold for seventy five thousand dollars. She and Tasha had no more problems and Tasha had become a cop for the L.A. Police. Bette and Tina moved to New York and where still waiting for a new adoption opportunity to arise. They both visited L.A. frequently for work and pleasure. Kit and Sunshine Boulevard where going strong while Helena had sworn off women after being hurt too many times.

It was a sunny, typical California day and Shane sat at a table in the Planet enjoying a cup of their famous coffee. Alice and Tasha sat opposite her; they were wrapped up in each other's arms as per usual. It seemed that since Tasha and Alice fixed things they'd barely let go of each other.

"Sorry, I just can't help it" Alice said to Shane as she pulled away from Tasha slightly.

"Oh don't be" Shane commented in her usual nonchalant manner.

"So how are you and Molly?" Tasha asked.

"Actually really good, you know I feel like we're on the same page and I've actually stayed monogamous for her" Shane replied.

"On the same page but not on Paige if you know what I mean" Alice joked while gesturing with her elbow.

"No Al, not on Paige, I haven't seen her in a long time, not since Shay last came to visit six months ago" Shane expanded.

Just as Alice was about to ask more questions Kit burst through the door with Bette and Tina behind looking incredibly tired. The table stood up to greet them as they hobbled over with heavy bags and Angelica in Kits arms.

"Hey! How was the flight" Alice said excitedly

"Awful, just awful" Bette said in her usual matter of fact way

"Some kid was screaming the whole flight and Angelica couldn't get to sleep because of it, Bette couldn't either" Tina explained level headedly.

They sat down and Kit went behind the bar to make some coffees for the mothers. Kit always loved seeing Bette and Tina together; it made her feel relieved to know that her baby sister would always have a family beyond just her. She brought the fresh coffee over to the table and sat down. They were talking about the flight still.

"How are things with Molly?" Tina asked Shane

"Great, thanks, we were actually just talking about her" Shane responded

"And you two are still good I'm assuming?" Bette question to Alice and Tasha

"We're really good, thanks" Tasha responded "Actually, I need to head down to the station and start on some paperwork" She added before getting up, grabbing her bag and kissing Alice goodbye.

"See you later gurl, we should organise something" said Kit as they waved her goodbye.

"So Shane, you heard much of Phyllis while you're dating her daughter?" Bette asked

"We've actually become good friends. She's been really busy with wedding plans with Joyce, they're planning to go up to Canada and tie the knot there. Reminds me too much of when Carmen and I were getting married. But yeah, they should be doing it sometime next year" She said

"Do you think she'll invite us?" Alice asked

"Oh yeah, definitely" Shane said

"Hey! How are you?" Helena said happily as she joined the table to greet Bette and Tina

"We're good, nice to see you Helena" Tina responded

"Okay then, I'll hold down the fort for a while and you can take your break" Kit said to Helena as she got up and head over to the kitchen

"So how long will you be in L.A. for?" Helena asked

"About two weeks, maybe a little longer if I need to have more meetings with Jodi about her collection for the gallery" Bette explained

"And I'm here for another 10 days while me and Alice look at locations for the movie, which actually we should really get going with" Tina added

"Oh right, so we'll look at the beach locations first then?" Alice suggested to Tina

"Sure, let's go" Tina said, she then kissed Bette and Angelica before walking out the door with Alice

"Helena, did you get any of that" Shane asked, noticing Helena looking at a girl at the coffee bar, she had long blonde hair with light pink dyed into it and was wearing a cropped halter top with distressed denim shorts which Helena could tell from across the room where Versace.

"What? Sorry I just drifted off for a second" She apologised

"Go ask her out if you like her" Bette said

"Oh haven't you heard, she's still on this whole no women thing so she won't even speak to women she thinks are hot" Shane said

"Just ask her out Helena, she won't fuck you over entirely on the first date" Bette said

"I just can't, I really can't trust people so easily anymore. No women for me for a while" Helena exclaimed

"It's been a while, just do it" Shane ordered

"See she's looking at you from her table now Helena" Bette added.

The girl was indeed looking at Helena; she had big blue eyes the colour of a clear sky and slightly tanned skin, but not tanned enough to be from California or to have lived there a long time.

"Right okay then well I need to go see Jodi and talk about her collection for the gallery so I'll see you both later" Bette said before leaving

"Yeah, I need to go for a photo shoot too so have fun Helena and just ask her out" Shane said before following Bette out the door

~O~

Alice and Tina walked along the pristine beach a few miles north of Los Angeles; the gentle sound of the waves beating against the golden sand gave the whole place a really relaxing feel that made it perfect for the closing scene of the movie. It was almost decided that it was going to be a location for the film.

"I really think this is it you know T" Alice said wistfully

"Yeah, it's really beautiful here, its places like this that make me miss California even more" Tina agreed

"Be honest Tina, do you think what I did with the movie was bad? I took advantage of Jenny's death and I feel pretty bad about that. Yeah it was mine in the first place but I stole it from a dead woman and sold it for twenty five thousand more" Alice asked, she hadn't actually talked about this to anyone in all the time that had passed.

"Look, Al, it was your idea first and I know that what happened to Jenny was tragic but let's be honest. She wasn't the rightful owner of that treatment and she stole from you. She hurt us all and she wasn't exactly the most loveable person. To be honest she had it coming, she fucked up Shane and Helena's love lives, stole the negative for Lez Girls and cost me a job, stole your treatment, triggered Max's dysphoria and tried to come between me and Bette" Tina stated very wisely, taking Alice aback with her honesty.

"I guess you're right, just every time I think about it I just remember her faced down in the swimming pool" Alice confided

"I know, it must have been awful to be the one to find her, who do you think did it in the end? If anyone actually did it?" Tina asked

"I kind of hope it was a suicide but I have a feeling it was Nicki in the end, I can't see any of us doing that even though we really hated her" Alice answered

They walked by the sea for a short while longer before they spoke to the land owner and sealed the deal for filming in a month's time.

~O~

Shane accelerated down the Californian highway from East L.A. up to the hills where she was booked to do a high fashion photo shoot for Calvin Klein's 2011 Spring/Summer collection. The wind blew through her dark hair and the sun warmed the skin on her back. Life was going good for Shane, she had a good thing with Molly, work was going great and she finally stopped feeling guilty about moving on so fast from Jenny. She did love Jenny in a way she thought as she looked back, she loved her before Hollywood came in and turned that messed up little girl with a half decent soul into a controlling monster. In her last months she didn't have anyone who really cared about her Shane realised as she drove down the motorway.

She pulled up to the location and removed her Gucci sunglasses from her eyes and placed them into her bag. Her heavy equipment was then removed by what appeared to be a bell hop of some kind who had materialised from the building. Shane was very nervous, her hands shook slightly as she helped carry the cameras, it was only her second high profile job.

Shane walked into the grand, Mediterranean styled house where a very sharp looking woman in a simplistic black pant suit was stood waiting in the stylish foyer. She could tell that this was going to be a very exciting day.

~O~

Shane left the magnificent hillside property and drove away slowly, the adrenaline still coursing through her. She was now on her way to pick up molly from the University of Los Angeles, she'd moved her schooling there after she made up with Shane in order to be closer to her and to Phyllis. The burgeoning photographer turned up her radio as the latest from Muse blasted out, she swerved up to the long, tree covered road that ended by the university's law department where she waited for Molly another six minutes.

Molly stepped out into the gentle afternoon sun and beamed as she saw Shane waiting there for her. She felt so empowered every time her snobby class mates saw her leave class in Shane's car and drive away to Los Angeles' eastern end. She opened the car door and sat down on the cool shotgun seat. Shane kissed her passionately before restarting her engine and heading home.

"How was school?" Shane asked inquisitively

"It was good I suppose nothing special really, how was the photo shoot?" Molly responded

"Really good, there was this really scary lady there to direct everything but the models where great and I had a lot of fun" Shane responded

"Good, have Bette and Tina got to L.A. yet?" Molly asked

"Yeah, got in this morning with Angie, they'll be here for two weeks I think. We might be having dinner with them and the group sometime soon if that's okay?" Shane said

"Yeah that's fine, we've got lunch with my mom and Joyce next Thursday too" Molly added

"Oh okay" Shane agreed as she pulled up by her house

They walked to the front door where Shane noticed a note taped to the door, it read

'I've been thinking about you a lot and I really want to talk to you about things, I don't want to fight with you, just if you want call me. –Carmen'

with a number written below.


End file.
